1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to patching torn sheet materials generally and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a novel tool and method for patching which are particularly useful in patching a liner in a pool of water.
2. Background Art
Many types of pools, and particularly swimming pools used in residential settings, include a flexible polymeric membrane liner lying against a wood or concrete form. This is a relatively economical type of construction compared to an all-concrete pool; however, the membrane liner is subject to ripping if sharp objects are pressed against or along it.
Repair kits for pool liners are available which include a sheet or roll of flexible patching material and a quantity of adhesive. To repair a rip in the liner, the patching material is cut to the proper size to cover the rip with a certain amount of overlap. The adhesive is applied to the patching material and then the patching material is manually applied over the rip and smoothed and secured in place. While the patch thus formed is satisfactory, applying it in a pool filled with water can be quite difficult, since two hands are required for the procedure and the natural buoyancy of the human body makes it impossible to stay at the bottom of the pool to apply the patch without taking relative elaborate, and perhaps dangerous, measures to weight down the body to counteract the buoyancy thereof. Additionally, the adhesive employed can be hazardous to the skin and eyes if contact is made.
Various devices have been developed to apply flexible materials, such as wall paper or tape to surfaces. Some of these are described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,192,637, issued Jul. 25, 1916, to Huddleston, U.S. Pat. No. 3,325,336, issued Jun. 13, 1967, to Gibson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,968, issued Jun. 14, 1988, to Sweeny, U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,782, issued Nov. 1, 1988, to Luhman et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,766, issued Apr. 3, 1990, to Lojdstrom. However, none of these devices are adapted to applying a short patch with an adhesive thereon as is required in repairing a pool liner.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a tool and a method for remotely applying a patch to a surface.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such a tool that is economical to construct and easy to use.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide such a tool and a method that can be employed for patching a pool liner.
Other objects of the present invention, as well as particular features, elements, and advantages thereof, will be elucidated in, or be apparent from, the following description and the accompanying drawing figures.